<Sen. Max Baucus has threatened to block Bush nominees to head the Treasury Department over administration attempts to tighten control over trade with Cuba.
The Montana Democrat made the threat Thursday in response to recently proposed policy chances regarding U.S. agricultural sales to the communist nation.
The Bush administration, which has taken a staunch, hardline stance against the regime of Fidel Castro, has sought to change the interpretation of current law from allowing payment to be made at delivery of farm products to requiring payments be made in advance.
Moving to obstruct lawful trade after three years of it functioning without incident takes this administration's dangerous obsession with Cuba to a whole new level, Baucus said in a statement.
Last month president Bush succumbed to a block of 172 nominees for a variety of positions by newly elected Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., which secured an appointment to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for a former aide of the senator.>
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